New IT rules 'designed to empower' ordinary users

Stating that new IT rules are designed to empower ordinary users of social media, India on Sunday rejected apprehensions raised by the United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and said that new rules were finalised after broad consultations with various stakeholders.

The Permanent Mission of India at the United Nations in its reply to the communication of the Special Procedures Branch of the United Nation Human Rights Council said India's democratic credentials are well recognised, according to an official statement issued by the IT ministry on Sunday. "The right to freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed under the Indian Constitution. The independent judiciary and a robust media are part of India's democratic structure," the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) statement said.

The communication from United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC) special branch follows a stand-off between the micro-blogging platform Twitter and the government on compliance with new intermediary guidelines and digital media ethics code notified by the government on February 25. The special branch of UNHRC on June 11 had raised concern around number of provisions of the new IT rules alleging that they do not appear to meet the requirement of international law and standards related to the rights to privacy and to freedom of opinion and expression as protected by International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, acceded to by India on April 10, 1979. The UNHRC special branch had requested the government to undertake wide consultation with all stakeholders for the new rule. It also expressed concern on the direction of the IT ministry to social media platform Twitter to shut down over 1,000 accounts on January 31, 2021 on ground that these accounts were spreading misinformation about farmers' protest. "We worry that the new rules may provide the authorities with the power to censor journalists who expose information of public interest and individuals who report on human rights violations in an effort to hold the government accountable," the UNHRC special branch had said. Responding to the apprehensions, the Indian government said the rules are designed to empower ordinary users of social media. The victims of abuse at social media platforms shall have a forum for redressal of their grievances.